Yarisleidis Cirilo and José Ramón Pelier, both from Guantánamo, made history for Cuba this Thursday at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games: each won three gold medals at the El Rincón dam, bringing the total number of gold medals for Cuba in canoeing at Santo Domingo 2026 to five.
According to the state sports media JIT, the three Cuban boats that competed this Thursday finished at the top of the podium. Cirilo excelled in the C-1 at 200 meters, Pelier did the same in the C-1 at 1,000 meters, and at the end of the day, both joined forces in the mixed canoe over 500 meters to achieve a golden triple.
In the women's individual event, Cirilo stopped the clock at 47.78 seconds, leaving more than a boat length ahead of Colombia's Manuela Gómez, who recorded 50.22, and Mexico's Ximena Aparicio, who came in third with 52.24.
Pelier was even more decisive in the one-kilometer race: he crossed the finish line in 4:09.17 minutes, with a considerable lead over the Mexican Guillermo Quirino (4:16.02) and the Colombian Daniel Pacheco (4:20.10).
In the mixed event, the Cuban duo finished in 1:56.41, significantly surpassing the Mexican pair composed of Ximena Aparicio and Guillermo Quirino (2:02.02), while the Colombian team of Madison Velázquez and Daniel Pacheco secured the bronze medal with a time of 2:03.89.
The three gold medals from this Thursday add to the two that Cirilo and Pelier had previously won in the C-2 at 500 meters—she alongside Diorgina Castillo and he alongside Tabiany Diéguez—which allows them to achieve three gold medals each in the tournament and places them among the top gold medalists of the Cuban delegation, alongside rowers Reidy Cardona and Leduar Suárez.
The four Cuban athletes are part of the list of 40 competitors with three or more gold medals in these Games, a roster led by Mexican swimmer Celia Pulido with eight titles. Only 108 participants have achieved more than one gold medal at Santo Domingo 2026. Cuba also counts among its multiple medalists Henry Heredia, Natalie Morales, and Raima Ortiz from rowing, as well as cyclist Marlies Mejias.
The performance of Cirilo and Pelier takes on a special significance when considering the context in which they arrived at these Games. In July, nine of the 12 members of the Cuban canoeing team deserted in Montreal during the III World Cup and the Pan American Championship, which has been described as the largest desertion recorded in that discipline within Cuban sports.
After that massive drop, only three canoeists remained associated with the national team: Pelier himself, Cirilo, and Geduar González.
Far from sinking, the two athletes from Guantánamo responded with an elite performance that cements them as figures in Cuban sports at the regional level. Cuba is currently in third place in the overall medal table for Santo Domingo 2026, behind Mexico and Colombia, with over 31 golds accumulated as of August 4, aligning with the official goal of finishing among the top three.
Related videos:
Filed under: